Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-04

io"h" III fAoA iue ialHeE OF SIX genera
tions who seemed likely to live many
wears lorger. Mrs; Forster of Gambler
land coun Y, Eng, died in l77I sred 1876.
An Euglishmap named Goldsmith died in
1916 in France at the sge of 40. Inl757
John Effingham died in Corn
wall sged IA. Surrington, al
ready mentioned, lived till 100,
and when he died lett two sons, one 100
and the other l04. Marion de L0rme was
born IN 1919 aud lived l54 years. Louise
Iruxo, a negress, died in one OF the
southern states in 1850, aged I75. There
nave since heen some remarkable in
stances of longevity among the people of
her race, but none whose cases ap-
proacnea her own even approximately
As she must nave been densely ignorant
1t is hard to understand how her age
conld have been satisfactorily proven.
Extreme old ase is by no means rare in
Frtrce. About twenty Years ago q do
mestic whose duties could not have beep
arduous died at the age of IA in the de-
partment of Eure. In 1865 the census
showed that there were l55 centenarisns
IN tn country, some of whom must have
C 'nsidera6ly passed 100 years. In Chile,
which has population Of but 8 few mil
/
there were $50 persons over 100 wears and
II. pa of from 80 to SO. The climate of
that country, which is rot unlike thst of
parts OF California, must have singular
preservative qualities. A French phvsi
clan named Madre says in reference to
the fact that there are twice as many fe-
male as male centenares, that they must
have become UnseXed very early in life
= hat 10 hat hnr 10 ~ LII
men.
Psychologists have placed on record
some cases of partial restoration of parts
OF the body il old sge. a French writer
gives the case of man OF seventy-twO
who after fever and severe pains had g
double tooth. Mention is made of man
Of seventy five who had several. An old
man of eighty-two lost his teeth and had
them grow again three years afterward.
He preserved them till his death
at one hundred. \ woman OF
ninety-twO had several teeth
grow after severe sickness. An inbab-
liant Of the PAlattinate, who lived till I20,
had fifty SCUM teeth grow during the last
few years of his life. The man OF eighty
two had his gray locks replaced by hair
of the exact co or which be had IN his
youth. As S rule animals are short
lived. But there are few exceptions,
among which are the elephant,
the rhinoceros and the hippopot-
anus, which, under ordinary
circumstances, live to more than 200
years, it is not of record tbs. any person
ever bought one for the purpose of testing
the question by his own personal ex-
peIience, but naturaiiStS have arrived at
that conclusion. Among birds, the
goose and raven are mentioned 10 exam
pies of longevity. Tenuyson has alluded
to the fact i'll the sonorous lire often
quoted regarding
The many wintered crow tina: leads the clang-
ing rookie Y home.
The longevity of the turkey has never
been made the subject of physiological
experiment. Some writer's have argued
that from the extreme age TO which these
animals mentioned, whose skins go on
constantly thickening, were supposed to
arrive, thst thickness OF skin is closely
related 10 duration of existence.
Whether this is true or not, it
is nevertheless fact that thin
skinned people sometimes die early, nota-
bly, John Keats, killed by review of his
poems, and disappointed lovers too
numerous 10 mention. They are naturally
those whom the gods love, end whom,
instead of making them elephants and
they have endowed with
fine organs and sensitive organisms, i'll
lifted to stand the rude rebufs of i'll
fortune and the shocks of time.
There seems to have been in the per
sons mentioned some power of resisting
that gradual decay of the system, that
weakening of the eyes, softeuing of the
brain, decreasing strength of the spine,
impairing Of the organs OF digestion, loss
of hearing, and all other forms of physi-
cal deterioration that mark advancing
years. 1t does not appear that any
of them took especial care OF themselves,
most indeed belonging to the laboring
classes. The rules of hygiene are known
to most Americans, the most important
to the prese walton of health being the
keeping of the digestion good. If they
are not known they are easily learned.
To keep the skin not only of the face but
of the rest of the body in good
condition is of prime impor-
lance. 1t is easy, but little under
stood. Cleanliness and good dl-
gestion are tine principal things, and
nothing tends more to the prolongation
Of life. The first impairment Of the skin
Of the face by age is wrinkles, and to de-
lay their coming or to remove them, nu-
cosmetics have been invented by
luacks, the physicians in this respect
neglecting an important duty. Cleo
patra found t e, with all her WOO
ngs, to wri q treatise on them.
The Arab physicians, the most
,killful in Europe during the
dark ages, advised their use. Pliny
zee commended asses milk, first used by
Roppea, the wife of Nero. The Roman
women made poultices tor the face of
bread crumbs and honey. Henry Ill. of
France used similar remedies. The an
;ients used, besides, bean -four pounded
n q mortar with the white of an egg.
Modern French women have been
Known, besides rubbing the face
With corn meal, to apply slices OF
.aw pork and veal. A physician re-
marks of some of these remedies that
hey have the advantage of nourishing
he skin. In regard to all of them care
must be taken not to allow them to stop
he pores snd thus interrupt the skins
most important functions. 1t will De
ound difficult to keep the complexion
good unless that of the body is also main
aimed in the same condition. The best
,ule for the complexion simply is to wash